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Thread: How much time a week needed to practice?

  1. #1

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    Default How much time a week needed to practice?

    Hi,

    I've got around 40 minutes a day, seven days a week to practice and been told that this is not much. I could re-arrange other commitments to increase practice time on weekends to 2 hours on Saturday and again on Sunday. Would this be sufficient time to make good progress and is it sensible to play every day, or should I take a day off now and again?

    Cheers,

    Paul.

  2. #2

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    Default Re: How much time a week needed to practice?

    It's all up to how you want to plan your time, Dun. No one can necessarily tell you how long you "need" to be practicing a day, I think it's more of what you practice during that short time that you have. If it were my call, I'd say that 40 minutes a day doesn't sound like enough, but then again there are drum students receiveing lessons for only 30 minutes a day. Don't change around your priorities if it will hurt you in the end in other areas, but if you can then go for it, bro.
    www.myspace.com/maudeephyfe
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  3. #3

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    Heres my input - unsure if it will help you?

    I get on the kit on average every 2ND day for about 1-1.5 hours ( that equates to about the same amount of time you are talking about over a week period ). I sometimes get a couple of hours on a Saturday arvo as well.

    I dont really feel thats enough time and I ALWAYS have the urge to have a bash but I am also very concious of the neighbours. Having said that however I have personally made decent/significant progress over the last 12 months so it must work somewhat.

    You can also grab a practice pad and practice hand techniques later at night while watchin telly etc, thats practice too remember ( and probably what I should be doin now instead of 'surfin' - LOL )

    Grab a teacher too if you havent already as it forces you to learn stuff and makes you more concsious of doing things correctly.

    Wotto
    ' Up the Irons '

  4. #4

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    Cool Re: How much time a week needed to practice?

    Hey, dun, wotto has a good point--are you studying with a teacher right now? If so, ask him for suggestions...trouble is, if you're on your own, I can't give you a specific answer.

    I would say that if you could practice daily for 45 minutes or so, that's a good start...and it can be practice pad, snare, drum kit, what have you...but that also varies based on what you want to play and how quickly you need to learn.

    Good luck!
    keep the beat goin' ... Don't keep it to yourself!

    Charlie

    "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." --Henry David Thoreau, "Walden," 1854

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  5. #5

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    Don't forget to practice off the kit as well! I only practice like 20 minutes or something a day but the rest of the time I'm tapping away, practicing patterns and so on.
    Today, on Ethel The Frog...

  6. #6

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    It is "absolutely" relative to how effective your practice sessions are. If you know that you have a tendency to "jam" instead of staying with a certain lesson, you may need to allow more time. But if you're very concentrated, you can be twice as productive with half the time.

  7. #7

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    Drummer just simplified my view lol
    www.myspace.com/maudeephyfe
    The good times won't roll themselves
    Gretsch Renown Maple, Paiste Signature, Reflector, and Dark Energy

  8. #8

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    c'mon drummer who doesn't want to JAM...def allow some jam time but always get back to the fundamentals or the jamming will never improve.

  9. #9

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    With 1/2 to 1 hour a day if you plan your practice wisely you will make progress. The more you practice the faster the progress. I try to spend at least 1/2 hour a day at the Kit. I also will sit at night (normally after the wife is in bed) and practice rudiments on a practice pad while I have the TV on. Consulting your teacher (if you have one) about their minimum recommendations is also good advice. Don't get all stressed out if you miss a day or two (life happens), but try to make up the time the next day or on the weekend. Grab whatever time you can. Even if you only have 10 mins to sit down at the set and run a few beat patterns do it!!
    Gretsch Catalina Birch 6 piece fusion set (10,12,14,16in. Toms, 22 Bass). Sabian 20" HH Classic Ride, 16" Istanbul Agop Dark Crash, & Zildian K 13" Hi-hats.

  10. #10

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    practise and play as much as you can and as much as you enjoy.

  11. #11

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    i try to practice as much as i can but theres been some weeks where i dont practice at all, im way too busy with school and sports and it just doesnt get done

  12. #12

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    I'm in the same boat CC. Sometimes, I don't get practice time until 10:00 p.m., or even later. When that happens, I just try to sit down for a few minutes and play the last patterns that I learned, and then try to incorporate them with all the other things that I've learned. I just take the time to solidify as mucj as I can of the things that I already know. Sometimes, it's fairly quick, and sometimes it just becomes an extended session because I'm enjoying myself. It's practice, but it's not; I'm just playing.
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by cdaug View Post
    c'mon drummer who doesn't want to JAM...def allow some jam time but always get back to the fundamentals or the jamming will never improve.
    You've got a point cdaug. Jamming certainly is practicing and can lead to much technique and learning in and of itself. I guess what I was getting at is that it takes more discipline to practice regimented lessons so we should make sure that we get that time in too.

  14. #14

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    As much time as you would like. It also depends on how much time you got. For anyone starting off, they should try and dedicate every spare minute they have to the drums. 2 hours a day is pretty good and that includes drumset and pad in front of the tv but if you can do drumset for two hours and pad for an hour everyday that would be even better.
    I play, Gretsch Catalina Birch, 7 piece in the vintage sunburst finish.


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  15. #15

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    Yeph...Drummer never count how much they spent a day or a week for drummin'....
    Drummer plays drums as long as they can....
    If you still enjoyed it and as long your neighbhour didn't throw anything to your house....Hit your Drums !!!!
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  16. #16

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    Speaking from a bassist's view, a typical practice for me was warm up - scales about 15 minutes, then I would play to cds for at least a good hour. By then you are quite warmed up and your mind is more focused. I would learn new songs for upcoming practices and gigs. That would be about a 1/2 hr. Our band usually picks about 3 a month to learn. Then I would just listen to a cd as I tore down my rig and relax. For me it worked fine, on bass. I have to work a routine for drums. Now it should probably be rudiments for like the next 6 months and keep the dust off the kit I've been playing to cds for about an hour a day. It's like putting a blind guy in the driver's seat and saying take me home, no offense to the blind. I am so very green.

  17. #17

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    do you have a drummer in the band bassist learning drums? can he give you any pointers?

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by ratmycue View Post
    do you have a drummer in the band bassist learning drums? can he give you any pointers?
    Yes I do. The problem is he lives 60 miles from me. Our band usually practices once or twice a month. Things like conflicting schedules, work and location are to blame for that. My location hasn't really yielded anyone, yet. I kind of live in no man's land.

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by bassist learning drums View Post
    I am so very green.
    Green is good! Have you seen the news lately?

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